Springfield Police Superintendent Lawrence E. Akers and Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi continue to warn our residents of Crypto-Currency or BitCoin scams.
Since the beginning of 2024, victims in the city of Springfield have lost more than $624,000 in connection with Crypto-Currency or BitCoin scams. The majority of this money is fraudulently taken through BitCoin machines, typically located in convenience stores. During this time, the city of Springfield has had 29 victims come forward, many have traveled to Springfield from as close as Wilbraham and as far away as Connecticut and Upstate New York to deposit their cash into a BitCoin machine in Springfield.
These criminals convince victims over the phone to go to these designated machines and deposit an arranged amount of money. The deposits have ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. The majority of the victims are elderly, but the ages of the victims range from their twenties-nineties.
Springfield Police Superintendent Akers states, “We are urging our community to help us get the word out about these scams. There is no lawful reason that anyone would ask you to deposit your money into BitCoin machines. The police, sheriff’s department, nor any government agency or utility company will ever ask you to deposit or accept money via BitCoin. If you receive these calls, please just hang up. We don’t want anyone to lose their lifesavings to a scam. Please help us spread the word!”
Sheriff Cocchi added, “These scammers are targeting our neighbors with fear and intimidation, stealing thousands of dollars from honest people. Let me be clear: no deputy will ever call you asking for money. If you get a call like this, hand up and report it immediately.
If you are a victim of this or a similar crime, please call the police immediately.